There’s a lot of fun to be had in the sun – as long as you stay cautious of its heat. Do your research, stay prepared, and avoid any unnecessary illnesses due to sun overexposure and overheating. Not sure where to start? Here are 3 tips for helping you stay cool this summer.
- Consume foods with high water content.
Bagged snacks and chips are one of the most convenient choices to bring along while you enjoy the outdoors this summer, but they’re not the best choice for staying hydrated and keeping cool. Try cutting back on salty foods and consume those that boost your levels of hydration, like fruits and vegetables.
Here are some examples of foods you can substitute for chips and other salty snacks:
- Cucumber: 96.73% water
- Lettuce: 95.64% water
- Watermelon: 91.45% water
- Strawberries: 90.95% water
- Cantaloupe: 90.15% water
- Peaches: 88.87% water
- Oranges: 86.75% water
- Pineapple: 86% water
- Apples: 85.56% water
- Switch your ceiling fan to “counterclockwise” rotations.
Ceiling fan blades are specifically designed with tilted edges to either cycle air upwards or downwards. The direction your air is being circulated depends on the direction you have your blades set to spin. Every ceiling fan should have a standard switch built in which allows you to easily swap between counterclockwise and clockwise rotations.
Clockwise rotations draw the cooler air in the room upwards, which is useful for redistributing hot air during the winter. Counterclockwise rotations do the opposite: they create a downdraft in the room and help keep it cooler. Doing this throughout your house will improve the temperature and keep your home colder than it was before.
- No ceiling fans? Try these tricks instead.
If your home’s not equipped with ceiling fans, invest if you can in standing or box fans and place strategically throughout your home. You can also try these alternative methods to see what works best for you.
You can wet or spritz your curtains with cool water and place free-standing fans behind them. This trick will help cool down the heat coming in from outside of your home. For longer periods of time, sitting the ends of your curtains in buckets of water will also work.
Another easy way to cool down your home without a ceiling fan is by placing a bowl of ice directly in front of any free-standing fans. A metal bowl will work best, and you can even freeze the water directly into your bowl if that’s easier. Make sure that the bowl and/or fan are tilted in a way that the circulating air goes across the top of the ice. This will cool down the air blowing throughout your home and create a chilly breeze.
Which tips to cool down this summer will you try first?
We understand that the summer may be difficult to navigate as temperatures continue to rise. If you ever feel like you may be having mild heat-related medical complications, our urgent care team is open early and late to provide quality care when you need it most. Visit one of our locations today.
If you or someone you know is displaying signs of heatstroke, go to your nearest hospital emergency room or dial 911. Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that must be treated immediately.
